This high mountain pass connects Brig (Wallis/Valais) to Domodossola (Italy). Highest point is 2,006 m (6,578 ft) above sea level and it is open all year long.

This major road takes its name from the village of Simplon, which lies 9km south of the summit of the pass. This village and the village of Gondo downstream are the only villages in the Valais located beyond the southern crest of the Alps, in the Po basin, unlike most of the Valais, which lies in the Rhône basin.

The route over the pass presents no particular difficulties and passes through some superb scenery. At the summit you'll find plenty of parking, a hotel-restaurant and the Simplon hospice, built in 1831 and owned by the Congregation of Great-Saint-Bernard.

Perched on an eminence, a 9m-high eagle sculpture seems to guard the pass, commemorating the Second World War by symbolising Switzerland's vigilance against Fascist Italy.

Useful links

Swiss Canton of Valais (iSwitzerland Guide) - Wikipedia